Three individuals accused in the high-profile murder of Kasipul Member of Parliament Charles Ong’ondo Were have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The suspects William Imoli Imo Shigali, Edwin Oduor Odhiambo, and Ebel Ochieng, also known as Dave Calo entered their pleas before Lady Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kibera High Court on June 17, 2025.
The prosecution alleges that the trio, along with others not before the court, were involved in the murder of the MP on the night of April 30, 2025, near City Mortuary along Ngong Road in Nairobi’s Kilimani Sub-County. The charge was read out by Lady Justice Kavedza under section 203 as read with section 204 of the Penal Code.
During the plea-taking session, the second accused, William Imoli Imo Shigali, addressed the court, asserting his innocence. He told the court that he was not involved in the incident and expressed readiness to tell the truth. He further requested that data from his mobile phone be extracted to prove he was not near the scene of the crime on the material day.
In his statement, Shigali claimed that he had his phone at the time of arrest and urged the court to order forensics on the device to verify his location data for April 30. He maintained that he did not know anything about the murder.
The defence team, led by lawyer John Swaka, made an application for bail on behalf of the accused. They argued that the suspects were not a flight risk, had fixed residences, and no compelling reasons had been presented to justify denying bail.
However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions opposed the application. The prosecution raised concerns over safety, citing a previous incident in which the third accused, Ochieng, allegedly threatened to kill a state counsel. The DPP argued that releasing him could endanger the lives of legal officers and witnesses.
Additionally, the prosecution stated that Ochieng had taken deliberate steps to evade capture by changing his mobile number and fleeing to Nakuru, where he was later arrested in a guest house. The DPP argued that these actions demonstrated a clear flight risk.
The court was urged to consider the prosecution’s submissions and deny bail to the three accused individuals, pending the conclusion of the trial. The prosecution emphasized the need for safety of court officials and witnesses involved in the case.
The matter has been scheduled for mention on July 17, 2025, when the court will confirm the probation report and give further directions.
